Hello guys, I've been lurking around on this forum this days, searching for an info.
I'm a person that promote green matters for ou well being for our future.
I drive a 2014 Prius and lives off grid, well the grid is connected, but I don't use it, so lowering my carbon foot print.
Planning for an EV, wanted to build a EV from scratch. But I can get a 2011 RHD Leaf from Japan for $7000.
But they are high mileage. So the battery will need replacement.
My question is can a battery be build with for example with calb cells or other make, the same AH and voltage. With battery cooling.
Because the older leaf have been design without battery cooling.

Can this be done? if it is possible one can get a EV for $10000 total.
Best regards.

I don't think it can be done. You can't generally legally import 2nd hand cars yourself unless you owned it overseas. There is an exemption for specialty vehicles, but it won't allow any model that was available in Australia (e.g. I have a Delica D;5 4wd van import, it is not legal to import the 2WD version of the same van because it is too similar to vehicles available in Australia.)

The minicab i-miev van has been imported successfully, so you may be able to find one of those with a dead battery and do something similar. Chris Jones has some ideas on replacing i-miev batteries.

I would guess the electric version of the nissan nv 200 van could be imported under the same rules.

Or you could look for a cheap EV here, there have been a couple listed on the forum in recent weeks but I think the <$10,000 ones are gone now.

Interesting - you might have difficulty bringing the Leaf into Australia; there are rules about importing vehicles which have already been sold here (not sure if the 2011 Leaf counts though).

As for the battery, a replacement battery for the early generation Leaf will be possible, but it won't be that cheap. Best case scenario for non OEM battery prices is about $500/kWh, and more likely $750/kWh. If you're going to the effort of re-packing a battery you might as well make it better/bigger/liquid cooled.

FYI: I have a 2011 Leaf (16 came in for Vic EV trial and were sold off after) so no-go to import one - but just having that series oficially imported negates bringing them in privately, no matter which year. Sorry to be the bearer of bad tidings. Bryce

I don't live in Australia. I live in the carribean, the Island of Curacao. Our roads are for LHD cars, but the government has permitted to import RHD cars from Japan. They wanted to to stop it, but the people is against it, so the government left it.
So I wanted to import a 2011 leaf, before they stop it, hahaha.
The idea, is, the car is there, only the battery will be build with better battery.
Or you think to replace it with a original leaf to restore range. Our Island is a 40 mile Long Island, so I don't need a that long range.
What do you think?
R.G. Specht